Archive for February, 2013

Blair has landed his dream job of head professional at Forest Hills Country Club. So tomorrow is his last day here at Purgatory Golf Club. We are so happy for him, and his new club is very lucky to have him on board. If you have time, please wish him luck, and of course call on him at his new venue when summer comes. There are many things he has done that were above and beyond the call of duty;

Helping Dick Merchent with his computer and new cell phone,

Ordering every StarTAC in existence for Mike when he was still holding on to that ancient phone for dear life,

Playing golf with Clay, encouraging him, and appreciating every word he has to say,

And of course all the long hours and responsibilities that come with being a golf professional. I’ve put links to the videos Blair has starred in below. The most special one to me is “How to have a successful golf outing.” Blair didn’t have any warning. Brian House was here one day, and since outings are his area of expertise, Blair was available and I asked him to do the interview. He stepped right up to the plate, with no hesitation, and did a great job. There is no doubt in my mind that kind of ‘jump in’ attitude will serve him and his new club well!

From now on, if I post on Wednesday, the subject will probably be motivation, and not golf. Bloggers are supposed to post on Tuesday and Thursday, and 95% of the time I get that accomplished. And sometimes if there is something noteworthy, I’ll write an article on a day other than Tuesday or Thursday.

Today I needed a little pep talk from myself. A reminder, that there are things I’m really good at, like photography. Then there are other things, like Excel spreadsheets, which suck the life out of me. The problem is, I often fall prey to my own arrogance. I think to myself, “I’m smart. I understand these concepts. I can do this, I don’t have to find an expert and pay them!” Famous last words.

When I have to work on a spreadsheet, or even study a new one for that matter, time grinds to a halt. I get knots in my stomach, I clinch my teeth. Yes, I have the intelligence to muscle through it, but not the desire.

In contrast, when I edit a photo, the angels sing. An hour is but a moment. It’s like a meditation, I could be a monk in a cave chanting I am so at peace with the world and myself. And when I’m finished, and look and the image, I’m energized, ready to share it with the world. And to tackle yet another one.

Not so with spreadsheets. After I wrestle one to the ground, the last thing I want to do is jump into another.

So I am reminding myself today. Do what you’re good at, what you love, what raises you up and makes your inner voices sing. The stuff that you know you’re smart enough to do, but hate, get someone who is good at it to help you set it up, so all you have to do is use it. In my case, the dreaded spreadsheets. I still have to review them, but at least I don’t have to build them!

We all have to face things we don’t like. I try to knock one of those nasties off the list first thing every day. Then I reward myself with ‘work’ that I enjoy. I’m so geeky, I even set a timer. After I do something I dread, I’ll set the timer on my phone to 30 minutes of photo editing or writing, because to me that is a joy. Then I go back to things I don’t cherish quite so much.

But today, when I let chasing a spreadsheet design drain me to exhaustion, I had to remind myself, “You may be smart, but you suck at this. Pay somebody else to do it. Go do what you’re really good at, and what you love!”

So I went and created this picture of the sunrise over 15 green to remind myself. Then I decided to share it with all of you, because if I tell the whole world, the pressure is on to keep my word.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem announced on Sunday during the Accenture Match Play Championship that:

“Essentially where the PGA TOUR came down was that they did not think that banning anchoring was in the best interest of golf or the PGA TOUR. I would note that the PGA of America came to the same conclusion after consultation with their membership. Golf Course Owners Association came to the same conclusion, as well.”

I could not have stated my concerns about the ban more clearly or succinctly than he did in that brief statement. (read his full interview)

He went on to point out that there is no data showing that anchoring provides an advantage. He also highlighted that many players have now ‘grown up’ on the anchored putting stroke.

The PGA.com website has a well done series of articles on the subject, starting with one covering Commissioner Finchem’s announcement. There are links to more articles on the left hand side of the page that will give you a good representation of what PGA insiders are saying on the subject.

This debate has caused so much unnecessary controversy, and drama, when there are so many more important things we need to be addressing.

In an article by Steve Eubanks at PGA.com he quotes Azinger as saying:

“It doesn’t make sense. You have drivers that you can change the loft, and the lie angle, and the how much hook or fade you want. But you’re going after a tiny percentage of people who use the bully putter?”

I truly hope the USGA and the R&A rethink and change their position on the anchored putter. I realize it might be embarrassing to change, but I’d rather be embarrassed than fight an unnecessary war with those I’m charged with governing.

The portion about Purgatory is short, but on target, and can be seen below.

We are always happy to have golfers talking about Purgatory Golf Club, and it is extra fun when one of our images graces the cover of a magazine. Thank you to both Midwest Golfing Magazine and to the Hamilton County Convention and Visitors Bureau!

Here is a short video flyover of the 6th hole, short after the golf course was built. I plan on including a flyover for each hole in our new iBook. I’ve seen these enough that they seem a little slow to me. What do you think, should I speed it up a little bit?

The new Nike Covert Driver becomes available today for the first time at 9:00 a.m. This is really revolutionary because it is the first cavity backed driver ever. In addition, you can adjust the loft and the lie yourself, with a simple tool. To top it off, it looks really cool.

Kick off your Valentine’s celebration early with a Wednesday night Wine Dinner with Kristofer Anderson from Republic National Wine & Spirits. We will pair four wines with signature dishes from our kitchen.

Enjoy Dinner and Wine Pairings with Your Special Valentine

Join us at Purgatory on Wednesday, February 13, for a special wine and dine evening. For $60 per person, you can enjoy five courses, complete with wine pairings from Republic National Wine & Spirits. RSVP today; space is limited.

There is a great book you can download for free in the iTunes store and you can read it on your iPad or iPhone. It’s called Golf Course Management, written by Karl Danneberger. It covers the basics of golf course maintenance issues such as:

Cool & warm season turfgrasses

Mowing

Irrigation

Fertilizing

Coring

Rolling the greens

Turf disease

Turf pests (as in bugs)

Weeds

It is loaded with video content, pictures, and of course text. I can’t believe it’s free. It produced by the Ohio State University Science Series: Turfgrasses. They have a podcast too, and I intend to check that out.
Yes, I know, who wants to read about golf course management? But tell the truth, haven’t you always wanted to read a whole chapter on Pythium Blight, with movies?!

“Do you care that Vijay took a banned substance?” A friend asked over dinner.

Yes, absolutely I care. We have a son that aspires to be a professional golfer. Vijay apparently didn’t know it was a banned substance, but if you look at the description of the product http://www.swatsedge.com/approved-products/the-ultimate-spray/ it sounds just like a steroid to me.

Steroids

We have discussed steroid use a great deal with the recent Lance Armstrong controversy. Our 11-year-old son doesn’t understand why anyone would take a drug that is banned. My husband explains, “Steroids help you recover from injuries more quickly, feel less pain, build muscle, you can work out longer without feeling the pain or getting tired, you recover from your workouts more quickly, sort of like being the bionic man.” Who wouldn’t want to be the bionic man?

I vividly remember Lyle Alzado, the former football player coming forward about his steroid abuse. He humanized the problem when he explained the irresistible temptation to take a drug that could make you stronger, faster, bigger, more aggressive, and more competitive. Alzado believed his steroid abuse was the cause of his brain cancer that lead to his death at age 43.

Steroids are a modern miracle when used short term for a sick person. Long term they are dangerous. Even short term they can be dangerous because they deaden your sensitivity to pain. They must be used very carefully.

Deer antler spray

Deer antler spray is a banned product that contains IGF-1, which is an insulin like growth hormone that naturally occurs in the body. The company claims the spray has an anabolic or growth stimulation, and repairs muscle damage following exercise.

Lots of people say there is no research to support those statements, and that it can’t be taken orally, it has to be given through injections in order to work. I don’t know if it works, but if it does, it sounds just like steroids, it grows and repairs muscle.

Testing

In horse racing, they always test the winners, every winner, right after the race, and it’s a blood test. That makes sense to me. Apparently the PGA Tour doesn’t want to test blood because none of the other professional sports are testing blood. If the blood tests are more accurate, test the blood; don’t let the NFL be the role model. If Lyle Alzado were here today, he would beg you to test blood.

There are ways to game the system, but make it hard. Athletes have admitted they cannot resist the temptation to take a drug that will make them stronger. Help them resist the temptation.